Stormont

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Suburb 8 km/5 mi east of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the site of the new Northern Ireland Assembly, elected as a result of the Good Friday agreement in 1998 and functioning from 1999 when some powers were transferred back to Northern Ireland from Westminster. It was previously the seat of the government of Northern Ireland 1921–72.

The official residence of the prime minister of Northern Ireland was at Stormont, and parliament met in Parliament House, a large, white neoclassical building, completed in 1932. Following increasing civil unrest from 1968, the UK government suspended the constitution and parliament of Northern Ireland in 1972, and imposed direct rule from London. By the Northern Ireland Act (1972) the UK Parliament was to approve all legislation for Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland department was placed under the direction of the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, with an office at Stormont Castle.

Green and red replaced blue and white as the national colours in 1910. The armillary sphere surrounds the shield of Portugal. Effective date: 30 June 1911. >>